Latching mechanism



N V- 21, 1961 H. F. GEORGE 3,009,347

LATCHING MECHANISM Filed April 8, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 2T, 1961 H.F. GEORGE LATCHING MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 8. 1959 Nov.21, 1961 H. F. GEORGE LATCHING- MECHANISM Filed April 8, 1959 4Sheets-Sheet 3 Nov. 21, 1961 H. F: GEORGE 3,009,347

- LATCHING MECHANISM Filed April 8, 1959 r 4 Sheets-Sheet '4 a; [Hill 71; 1 22 915 hie 3,009,347 LATCHING MECHANISM Harry F. George, ParkRidge, III. (919 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago 11, Ill.) Filed Apr. 8, 1959,'Ser. No. 894,979 3 Claims. (Cl. 70-145) This invention relates toimproved latching mechanism for doors and similar structures, and isadapted for use in doors made of metal, wood, and other suitablematerial.

The present invention is an improvement over those disclosed in myUnited States Letters Patents No. 2,764,014, granted September 25, 1956;No. 2,803,957, granted August 27, 1957; and No. 2,835,125, granted May20, 1958.

It is very important in the latching and locking mechanism industry thatsuch mechanism be so made that it can be applied to a door or the likereadily, with a good fit between the various parts and the holes in thedoor, to insure economy in installing, and efficiency in operation. Ofthe present makes of latches and locks of the tubular type, prior to thepresent invention, great care is necessary in drilling the two inch holeand have it line up with the one inch .hole for the latch bolt assemblyto prevent the parts from sticking and causing trouble. Also in latchingmechanism as known prior to my invention herein, many other difficultiesare experienced in assembling the mechanism with the door, resulting inloss of time, as well as failure of satisfactory operation during use.The above and other difiiculties I have overcome in the presentinvention.

Among the objects of my invention are: to provide a new and improvedlatching mechanism; to provide a latching mechanism that is quick andeasy to apply to a door or the like, and when applied will give long andsatisfactory operation; to provide a latching mechanism in which thelatch bolt and pull back bar are in one complete unit, and which can bemounted onto the door surface with only one one inch hole and twothree-eighth inch holes through the door, and an easily formed slot nearthe edge of the door; to provide a novel telescoping arrangement of themain shaft and associated parts, which simplifies installation by havingouter and inner parts held together by mounting screws; to provide anovel arrangement of housings for the pull-back bar, the locking bar,and to enable a partial rotation of the inner knob for release of thelock bar in case of emergency; to provide means for preventing opening alocked door from the outside by a thin flat piece of material; toprovide means for locking the door from the outside by a key, and anovel arrangement of parts on the inside of the door for unlocking andunlatching the door from the inside; and such further objects,advantages and capabilities, inherently possessed by my invention, aswill later more fully appear.

My invention further resides in the combination, construction andarrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and whileI have shown therein preferred embodiments I wish it understood that thesame are susceptible of modification and change without departing fromthe spirit of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a fragmentary portion of the free end of adoor, showing my invention applied thereto.

FIG. 2 is a vertical edge elevation looking toward the bottom side ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2, with partsbeing shown in elevation for the sake of clearness.

FIG. 4 is a horizontal section through the axis of retation of therotatable par-ts, but showing a modified form of latch bolt andpull-back bar, and the lock bar, rotatable parts and escutcheon studsmoved through ninety degrees, as compared with FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation looking toward the left hand side of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a vertical section on the line 66 of FIG. 1, showing the latchbolt and pullback bar free for horizontal movement under spring bias.

FIG. 7 is a vertical section on the broken line 77 of FIG. 1. I

FIG. 8 is a vertical section on the line 8-8 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 6, but showing the latch bolt andpull-back bar locked against rearward movement.

FIG. 10 is an exploded view showing the parts of the main shaft inseparated position just before being assembled together.

FIG. 11 is an edge view of the pull-back bar.

FIG. 12 is a detail side elevation of the pull-back bar.

FIG. 13 is a vertical section on the line 1313 of FIG. 3, and FIG. 14 isa fragmentary vertical section on the line 14-14 of FIG. 4.

While my latching mechanism is, for illustrative purposes, shown hereinas applied to a wooden door, it is to be understood that it may beapplied to a metal door, as well as in any other connection to which itis adapted for latching and locking a movable part with relation to astationary part.

In the form shown in the drawings my invention comprehends an outer knobor handle 1, and an inner knob or handle 2, which knobs or handles arerespectively secured to the opposite ends of a composite main shaft madeup of the cylindrical parts 3 and 4 connected together in telescopingrelationship for rotation together as a unit upon rotation of either ofthe outer or inner handles 1 and 2. The outer part 3 of the main shaftis integral with, or otherwise fixed to, the outer knob 1 for rotationtherewith, and the liner part 4 of the main shaft is connected to theinner knob 2 for partial rotation with relation thereto.

The door 5, at a suitable location inwardly of its free edge, is formedwith a transverse cylindrical opening 6, preferably of one inchdiameter, to rotatably receive the main shaft. The door 5 is also formedwith a pair of transverse openings 7 and 8, each preferably of threeeighths of an inch diameter, one spaced a suitable distance forwardly ofthe shaft hole 6, and one spaced a suitable distance to the rearthereof. Mounted on the outer face of the door, concentrically with theshaft hole 6, is an escutcheon 9, having an opening 10 to rotatablyreceive the outer part 3 of the main shaft. Integrally, or otherwise,fixed to the escutch-eon 9 are a pair of escutcheon studs 13 and 14,which studs extend into holes 7 and 8 respectively of the door.

Mounted against the inner surface of the door is a housing 15, formedwith an opening through which the innerpart 4 of the main shaftrotatably extends. At suitable distances from the shaft part 4 are apair of openings in housing 15, through which extend headed screwmembers 16 and 17 having threaded engagement with the escutcheon studs13 and 14 respectively, so that tightening of these screw members withrelation to the escuteheon studs will clamp the escutcheon 9 and thehousing 15 firmly against the opposite side faces of the door. As seenin FIGS. 1-3 and 5, 6, and 9, the housingI'lS extends to the edge of thedoor, and as seen in FIGS. 5, 6 and 9, the end of this housing farthestaway from the edge of the door is curved on a radius the center of whichis on the axis of rotation of the main shaft.

Mounted against the exterior face of the housing 15,

for rotational and radial sliding movements with relation thereto, is alocking control member housing 18 having a peripheral flange in contactwith housing 15, the hollow interior of housing 18 being greater in anaxial direction than that of housing 15. The flat external wall ofhousing 18 is formed with a central opening 19, through which rotatablypasses the part 4 of the main shaft, opening 19 being elongated topermit radial sliding movement of housing, to effect locking andunlocking of the main shaft as later more fully explained. Thiselongation of opening 19 is seen at 20 in FIG. 4.

Mounted against the exterior face of the housing 18 is a housing 21 thatmay be integral with, or otherwise fixed as desired, to the inner knob 2for rotation therewith, the peripheral flange of housing 21 havingrotational sliding contact with the adjacent face of housing 18.

As seen in FIG. 10, the outer part 3 of the main shaft is formed with acircumferential groove 22, within which is seated a ring 23 ofsuflicient thickness toproject radially and be clamped between thecentral sleeve 24 of the escutcheon 9 and the outer face of the door 5,to hold the shaft part 3 and the outer knob 1 against axial displacementwith relation to the door, as seen in FIGS. 3 and 4. The knob 1 and theshaft part 3, as far as ring 23, is formed with an axially extendingbore 25 within the outer end of which is fixed a locking member 26having a lock cylinder of the tumbler type operated by a key 27. Tumblerlock 26 is of the conventional type in which the key may be removed fromthe lock cylinder either in the neutral position, or from an advancedposition, after the key has been turned. The locking plug of the tumblerlock is fixed to the shaft 28 which has fixed to extend inwardlytherefrom the square shaft 29, these parts being rotated with the key 27as the key rotates in the tumbler look. A ring 30 permits rotation ofthe shaft 28-29, but prevents the shaft and lock from havinglongitudinal axial movement in the bore 25.

The bore 25 in outer part 3 of the main shaft is sufiiciently largerthan square shaft 29 to permit its rotation therein. Just beyond thecircumferential groove 22 the bore 25 is enlarged to a larger diameterbore 31 to receive the adjacent end 32 of the part 4 in telescopingrelation, as will be understood in FIGS. 3 and 4. At a portion of itscylindrical wall, bore 31 is formed with a slightly inwardly extendingflattened portion 33 which engages over the complemental flattened seat34 formed on the circumference of the inner end portion of main shaftpart 4, whereby when the adjacent end of part 4 is telescoped into bore31 of part 3, these two parts will rotate together when either the outeror inner knob is rotated, see FIG. 13.

Before assembling together parts 3 and 4 of the main shaft, a shortcylindrical locking shaft 35, having an axially extending square opening36 of a cross-sectional size to fit over the inner free end of squareshaft 29, is telescopically inserted into the longitudinally extendingcylindrical opening 37 in the main shaft part 4, see FIGS. 3 and 4. Asseen in FIG. 10, the locking cylinder 35 is formed on its left hand end,as viewed in FIG. 10, with a narrow, fiat-faced and slightly taperingweb 38, shown in cross-section in FIGS. 6 and 9, for a purpose latermore fully explained. Fixed adjacent the bottom end of web 38, as viewedin FIG. 10, is a longitudinally extending eccentric pin 39 movable in acircular path as the square shaft 29 and locking shaft 35 are rotatedunder action of the key 27. When the locking shaft 35 is telescoped homeinto the adjacent end of part 4, the web 38 will be rotatably positionedin registry with the slot 40 which is formed laterally in cylindricalpart 4 and extending halfway therethrough. Also formed in part 4 is ahole 41 extending laterally therethrough to slidably receive the lockbar 42 which has a recess 43 formed in its inner side to receive theeccentric pin 39. Recess 43 is larger than the diameter of eccentric pin39 to give the necessary play for movement of this pin therein dur- 4ing the locking and unlocking operations. The part 4 has a suitableopening between the bore 37 and the lock bar hole 41 to accommodatemovement of the eccentric pin 39.

Stamped out of, or otherwise fixed to the vertical face of the housing15, adjacent to the lock bar 42 and one on each side thereof, are a pairof cars 44 and 45, see FIG. 8, between the edges of which ears the lockbar extends when moved to locking position, the lock bar being free or"these cars when moved to unlocking position. Fixed to the interior ofhousing 18, see FIG. 4, is a block or lug 46 having an opening 47extending therethrough in a direction radially of the main shaft.Through opening 47 extends a rod 48 having screw threaded engagement atits inner end with the adjacent end of lock bar 42, and having at itsouter end a head 49 contacting the outer surface of the circumferentialflange of housing 13. Head 49 is provided with one or more slots to beengaged by a screw driver for securing the screw threaded rod 48 to lockbar 42. It is thus seen that the housing 18 may have rotational movementwith relation to the fixed housing 15 when the main shaft is rotated,and also radial movement with relation to housing 15 when the lock bar42 is moved radially in the main shaft by the key 27 and square shaft 29described above, or by a partial rotation of the inner knob as will belatter explained. Also this radial movement of the housing 18 enablesthe lock bar to be moved into and out of locking position by moving thehousing 18 manually from the inside of the door. This enables the doorto be locked from the outside by a key, and to be locked or unlockedfrom the inside of the door independently of the key.

The housing 21 is fixed to the inner knob 2 to rotate therewith, and hascontact with the vertical face of housing 18 to permit the latter tohave said rotational and radial movement. As seen in FIG. 4, inner knob2 is mounted on the inner end of the main shaft part 4, and held thereonfor partial rotation with relation thereto. Knob 2 extends radiallyinwardly over the adjacent end of main shaft part 4, where it isprovided with a central opening 50 having a counterbore 51 for thereception of a head 52 of a cap screw 53 threadably engagingcomplemental threads in an axially extending hole 54 centrally formed inthat portion of the main shaft part 4 from its inner end to thetransverse lock bar hole 41. A cap 55, having spring fingers, is pushedinto the counterbore 51 to cover the head 52 of the cap screw 53.

Before the inner knob is secured to the main shaft part 4 by the capscrew 53, a ball 56 is inserted into the hole 54, which hole decreasesin diameter as it approaches the lock bar 42 its diameter at the side ofthe lock bar being only enough larger than the ball to permit the ballto be movable therein axially of the main shaft. The adjacent face ofthe lock bar 42 is formed with a pair of spaced transverse grooves 57and 53, as seen in FIGS. 4 and 8, which grooves may be shorter in lengththan shown, or merely recesses, if desired. Behind the ball is inserteda coil spring 59 which is held under compression against the ball by ascrew plug 69 threaded to the desired position in the screw threadedhole 54. The knob 2 is then applied to the main shaft part 4 by the capscrew 53. It is thus seen that the ball 56 serves as a detent to beyieldably urged into one or the other of the grooves or depressions 57or 58 when opposite the same, to yieldably hold the lock bar 42 inlocked or unlocked position without danger of slipping out of suchposition until moved intentionally during operation. The ball 56 entersgroove or depression 57 when the lock bar is in unlocked position, seeFIG. 8, and groove or depression 58 when in locked position.

The vertical wall of housing 18, below the main shaft part 4 as viewedin FIG. 4, has fixed thereto to extend outwardly into the hollowinterior of the housing 21, a lug or screw head 61. Housing 21 is formedon its interior with a thickened portion 62 having a central bore 63 forpartial rotation on the main shaft part 4-. Thickened portion 62 isformed with a depression 64 the bottom edges of which are beveledupwardly and outwardly in opposite directions from the middle, to formtwo cam surfaces 65 and 66 against and over which the head 61 of housing18 rides when the lock bar 42 is in locked position and the inner knob 2and housing 21 are rotated a limited amount on the main shaft part 4.With lock bar 42 in locked position, and the detent ball 56 indepression 58, the head 61 will be in midposition at the lowest portionsof the two cam surfaces 65 and 66. Rotation of the inner knob 2 andhousing 21 a restricted amount in either direction with relation to themain shaft part 4, will cause one or the other of the two cam surfaces65 or 66, depending upon the direction of rotation, to push upwardlyagainst the head 61 and move the locking control housing It; and thelock bar 42 into unlocked position.

To limit or restrict the amount of rotation of the inner knob andhousing 21 with relation to the main shaft part 4, the inner end of thelatter is formed with a cut-away portion extending laterally inwardlynot quite to the axial hole 54 in part 4, and longitudinally a shortdistance into part 4, to form a recess 67, sidewise in which swings aprojection 68 fixed to the inner knob and extending radially into recess67. To urge said projection 63 to normally stand in midposition inrecess 67, main shaft part 4 is formed on the two sides of recess 67 andprojection 68 with a pair of laterally and circumferentially extendingslots 69-10 to receive compression coil springs 71- 72 respectively,each of which coil springs bears at its rear end against the bottom endof its slot and at its for- Ward end against projection 68. Thisstructure enables the door to be instantly unlocked from the inside, incase of fire or other emergency, merely by grasping the inner knob andturning it in either direction, even though the door had been lockedfrom the outside by a key. It will also be understood that when theinner knob has been rotated in either direction to the limit of itsrestricted rotation with relation to the main shaft, continued rotationof the inner knob in that direction will cause rotation of the mainshaft, for unlatching the door, by reason of the projection 68contacting one or the other side of the recess 67.

In order to provide a horizontal slot in the inner face of the door toreceive the latch bolt 73, two one inch holes are drilled in the doorinner face to slightly overlap each other laterally and extendapproximately half way through the thickness of the door. By using aknife, or other cutting tool, the top and bottom of the slot can beevened up to form a straight sided slot 74, see FIG. 3. Fixed in slot 74is a latch bolt housing of sheet metal or the like, and having a backwall 75, top and bottom walls 76 and 77, and an inner end wall 78 spaceda slight distance from the adjacent anchor stud 14, see FIGS. 3, 6 and9. The latch bolt 73 is slidably mounted in the outer end of the latchbolt housing and is provided with an inner abutment member79 againstwhich seats the outer end of each of a pair of compression coil springs8i and 31, the inner ends of which coil springs seat against the latchbolt housing inner end wall 78, to normally urge the latch bolt intoprojected position.

Fixed to the latch bolt to extend laterally therethrough is a pin 82flush with the exterior face of the latch bolt at one end, and extendinga short distance beyond the opposite face of the latch bolt at the otherend, see FIG. 3. Fixed by riveting, or otherwise as desired, to theprojecting end of the pin 82, is the forward end of the pullback bar 33which is slidably mounted in the housing 15 between its vertical walland the inner surface of the door, see FIGS. 3, 6 and 9. Pull-back bar83 is widened at its rear end or main portion, and of a widthapproximately that of the adjacent side of the latch bolt housing at itsforward end.

The widened rear end of the pull-back bar 33 is formed with an elongatedslot 84 of a width at its rear end just enough greater than the diameterof the main shaft part 4 to freely slide thereover, and narrower at itsforward end to afford reciprocation of the pull-back bar with relationto the anchor bolt 17. Pull-back bar 83 at its rear end is formed with aslot 85 to allow sufiicient reciprocation of the pullback bar withrelation to the anchor bolt 16. A pair of lugs 86S7, one on each side ofthe widened end of the pull-back bar and carried by either the verticalwall of housing 15 or the inner surface of the door, as desired, affordmeans to guide the pull-back bar in its reciprocal movement, see FIG. 9.

Referring to FIG. 10, it will be seen that the main shaft part 4 isformed, adjacent the lock bar hole 41, with the laterally extending slot40, referred to earlier herein, within which the web 38 of the lockingshaft 35 swings during rotation of the locking shaft by means of squareshaft 29 under action of the key 27. Slot 40 extending half way throughmain shaft 4 results in the production of the two roll-back noses 88 and89, one on each side of the bore 37 in part 4, see FIG. 6. At the rearend of the enlarged part of the pull-back bar slot 84 is formed, one oneach edge, a pair of shoulders and 91, each of which engages one of theroll-back noses 8S and 89 so that rotation of the main shaft in eitherdirection will cause one or the other of these roll-back noses to pushrearwardly on its respective shoulder 90 or 91 to move the pull-back barand its attached latch bolt inwardly for unlatching purposes. Release ofsuch turning force will cause return of the pull-back bar and the latchbolt to latching position under action of the coil springs 80 and 81.

As seen in FIG. 12 the enlarged part of the pull-back bar slot 84 isextended rearwardly a short distance to form a fan-shaped recess 92having on its two side edges a pair of inwardly projecting abutmenttongues 93-94. The free swinging edge of the web 38 of the locking shaftswings back and forth in the fan-shaped recess 92 under action of thekey 27 in the outer knob 1, until it strikes one or the other of theabutment tongues 9394, depending on the direction of rotation. When thekey is pulled out of the lock in neutral position, the web 38 will standin midposition in the fan-shaped recess 92 as seen in FIG. 6. FIG. 9shows the web in contact with abutment tongue 93, the key having beenremoved from the lock in advanced position, to prevent the opening of alocked door by inserting a strip of thin fiat material between the edgeof the door and the frame.

As seen from the above, I have provided a novel arrangement of latchingmechanism, and latch bolt assembly, which can be quickly and easilyapplied to the door, it only being necessary to form in the door a oneinch hole to receive the main shaft, two holes three eighths of an inchin diameter to receive the anchor bolts to clamp the outer par-ts of themain shaft to the inner parts thereof, and an easily formed open slot orrecess in the inner face of the door to receive the latch bolt which isfixed as a unitary part to the pull-back bar slidably mounted in thehousing 15.

In FIGS. 4 and i4 is shown a modified arrangement for mounting the latchbolt in the door, in which the latch bolt is mounted in the center ofthe door. In this form a hole 95 is bored, or cut, into the edge of thedoor centrally thereof, but preferably a little short of the lateralhole 6 in which the main shaft is mounted, as seen in FIG. 4. At theinner end of the hole 95, to extend inwardly from this hole to the innersurface of the door, is a slot 96 of a length and size to permitmovement therein of the pin 82, connected between the pull-back bar 83'and the latch bolt 73, during movement of the latch bolt and pull-backbar. The latch bolt 73 is slid ably mounted in a latch bolt housing 75'stationarily fixed in the outer end of the hole 95. Latch bolt 73 hafixed thereto, by a pin 97 or otherwise as desired, a latch bolt bar 98having at its rear end a vertically extending slot 99, see FIG. 14,through which the pin 82' of the pullaccess? back bar 83' extends.Coiled around the latch bolt bar 98, between the inner end wall 78' ofthe latch bolt housing 75 and the latch bolt 73, is a compression spring100 to normally urge the latch bolt to projected position. As will beunderstood, inner end wall 78 has an opening to permit the latch boltbar 98 to have sliding movement therethrough during retraction of thelatch bolt. Also, as will be understood, the pull-back bar 83 and 83,will slide in its housing 15 when the latch bolt 73 and 73 is moved inits housing in the door. Both the latch bolt and the pull-back bar willbe prevented from movement, when the key 27 is pulled out of the lock inadvanced position, by reason of the web 38 of the locking shaft 35 beingin contact with one or the other of the abutment tongues 93 or 94 toprevent opening a locked door from the outside by a strip of thinmaterial, as stated earlier herein.

As seen in FIG. 3, when the latch bolt recess 74 is formed to open intothe inner face of the door, the two anchor studs 13 and 14 are locatedin a horizontal plane on opposite sides of the main shaft, with the lockbar 42 moving up and down vertically during its operation. When thelatch bolt is located centrally of the thickness of the door as in FIGS.4 and 14, the hole 95 for receiving the latch bolt 73 is somewhat longerto afford room for movement of the inner end of the latch bolt bar 98,and to afford such extra room the anchor studs 13 and 14 are rotatedninety degrees to be located in a vertical plane on opposite sides ofthe main shaft, so that they will not interfere with the end of thelatch bolt bar 98, as will be understood in FIG. 4. The lock bar 42 maythen move in a horizontal path.

In the form shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 6, the pull-back bar housing 15 willbe of semicircular contour on the inner side of the main shaft, and fromthere it extends with parallel side edges to the free edge of the doorwhere it is bent at right angles to extend across the free edge of thedoor to be secured by screws or the like as desired, see FIGS. 1, 2, and6. In the form. shown in FIG. 4 the pull-back bar housing 15 is fullyround in contour, because of the shorter length of the pullback bar 83'.

The provision of the vertically extending slot 99 in the inner endportion of the latch bolt bar 98, see FIG. 14, enables an amount ofautomatic vertical adjustment of the latch bolt with relation to the pin82 of the pullback bar 83, to take care of improper machining of thedoor.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. Door latching mechanism, comprising, a.two-part main shaft having anouter cylindrical part and a separate inner cylindrical part, each ofsaid cylindrical parts having a turning member, the outer cylindricalpart having a longitudinally extending axial bore for the greater partof its length which bore at its inner end opens into a concentricenlarged bore which extends to and through the inner end of the outercylindrical part, said inner cylindrical part having an axial bore openat the inner end thereof, a short locking shaft rotatably mounted in theaxial bore of the inner cylindrical part and entirely confined therein,the inner end of the inner cylindrical part being telescopicallyinserted into the enlarged bore of the outer cylindrical part, means inthe telescoping portions of said inner and outer cylindrical parts tofix them for rotation together when telescoped and be separablelongitudinally, said locking shaft having a noncircular axial openingextending into its inner end, a key-operated shaft rotatably mounted insaid first men tioned longitudinal axial bore of the outer cylindricalpart and having a complemental noncircular end to slidably and removablyfit into the noncircular opening of the locking shaft for rotating thelocking shaft With relation to the main shaft, 21 first housing adaptedto be secured against the inner face of a door, a spring-biased latchbolt reciprocally movable at right angles to the main shaft, a pull-backbar connected to the latch bolt and mounted in the first housing forsliding movement between the inner face of the housing and inner face ofthe door, a second housing in slidable contact with the adjacent face ofthe first housing, a lock bar in said inner cylindrical part for slidingmovement transversely therein, said lock bar being fixed to the secondhousing for movement therewith, a third housing in slidable contact withthe second housing and fixed to rotate with the inner turning member,and means in the third housing for enabling partial rotation of theinner turning member with relation to the main shaft.

2. Door latching mechanism, comprising, a main shaft adapted to bemounted to extend transversely through a door, the main shaft having anouter cylindrical part and a separate inner cylindnical part, the outercylindrical part having a longitudinally extending axial bore which atits inner end opens into an enlarged bore formed axially in the innerend of the outer cylindrical part, said enlarged bore opening throughsaid last mentioned inner end, said inner cylindrical part having itsand adjacent the inner end of the outer cylindrical part telescoped intosaid enlarged bore, means in said telescoping parts fixing the outer andinner cylindrical parts for rotation together when telescoped and belongitudinally separable one from the other, said inner cylindrical parthaving a bore open to its inner end, a short locking shaft rotatable inthe last mentioned bore, a key-operated shaft rotatably mounted in thefirst mentioned longitudinal axial bore of the outer cylindrical part,said key-operated shaft being separably connected to the locking shaftfor rotation thereof, a spring-biased latch bolt reciprocally movable atright angles to the main shaft, a pull-back bar connected to the latchbolt, a first housing adapted to be secured against the inner face of adoor, said pull-back bar being mounted in the first housing for slidingflatwise against the inner face of a door and being operable by rotationof the inner cylindrical part, a second housing positioned against saidfirst housing, a lock bar transversely slidable in the inner cylindricalpart, means in the second housing connected to the lock bar, and meansconnecting the lock bar with the locking shaft, whereby the lock bar maybe operated by either the locking shaft or the second housing.

3. Door latching mechanism as claimed in claim 2, the connection betweenthe pull-back bar and the latch bolt having a latch bolt bar fixed tothe latch bolt and formed in its rear end with a vertical slot, and alaterally extending pin fixed to the pull-back bar and extending throughsaid vertical slot in the latch 'bolt bar to enable an amount ofautomatic vertical adjustment between the latch bolt and the pull-backbar to compensate during installation for improper machining of thedoor.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS186,018 Ransom Jan. 9, 1877 431,845 Hope July 8, 1890 858,396 IssleibJuly 2, 1907 1,060,413 Augenbraun Apr. 29, 1913 1,653,512 Schlage Dec.20, 1921 1,791,029 Hurd Feb. 3, 1931 2,596,949 Welch et al. May 13, 19522,803,957 George Apr. 27, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,996 Sweden Dec. 21,1889 371,660 Germany Mar. 21, 1923

